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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to modems; and, more particularly, it relates to a data access arrangement wherein data and control information is communicated across a high voltage isolation barrier in a serialized digital format.
2. Related Art
Regulatory agencies throughout the world have established standards and regulations for connecting subscriber equipment to telephone networks. These regulations are intended to prevent damage to the telephone network and mitigate interference with other equipment also connected to the network. The regulations, however, often present difficult design challenges.
For example, subscriber equipment or data communications equipment (DCE), such as a data modem, is generally required to provide for some form of electrical isolation to prevent voltage surges or transients originating from the subscriber equipment from having a deleterious effect on the telephone network. Electrical isolation also addresses potential problems associated with differences in operating voltages between a telephone line and the subscriber equipment. More particularly, telephone line voltages may vary widely across a given network, and often exceed the operating voltage of subscriber equipment. In the United States, 1,500 volt isolation is currently required. In other countries, the prescribed isolation may reach 3,000-4,000 volts.
A number of techniques have been utilized to provide the requisite level of electrical isolation. For example, isolation transformers are often employed to magnetically couple signals between a two-wire telephone line and the analog front end of a modem or other circuit while maintaining an appropriate level of electrical isolation. The isolation transformer functions to block potentially harmful DC components, thereby protecting both sides of the data connection.
The isolation transformer is typically part of what is referred to in the modem arts as a data access arrangement (DAA). The term DAA generally refers to circuitry, which provides an interface between a public telephone network originating in a central office (CO) and a digital data bus of a host system or data terminal equipment (DTE). The DAA electrically isolates a modem or similar device from a phone line to control emissions of electromagnetic interference/radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI). In addition to electrical isolation, the DAA often develops a number of signals (e.g., a ring signal) for provision to subscriber equipment. The DAA may receive signals from the phone line through a telephone jack, such as a RJ11C connection as used for standard telephones.
Typically, a number of circuits must derive information from the telephone line, and isolation is often required for each signal communicated to and from the host system. Such circuits may include: transmit and receive circuitry; ring signal detection circuitry; circuitry for switching between voice and data transmissions; circuits for dialing telephone numbers; line current detection circuitry; circuitry for indicating that the equipment is coupled to a functional telephone line; and line disconnection detection circuitry. Conventional DAA designs utilize separate line side circuits and separate signal paths across a high voltage isolation barrier for each function of the DAA.
Modems function to convert analog signals from the telephone network to a digital format that can be used by the host system. Most countries have specific regulatory requirements governing off-hook voltage and loop current, ring detect threshold levels, and line interface impedances that must be taken into account by devices such as modems. Such electrical characteristics of a DAA are often difficult to control, due in part to the fact that the circuits which determine these characteristics are located on the line side of the high voltage isolation barrier.
Further, it is difficult to configure a DAA to satisfy the regulatory requirements of more than one country. Conventional non-programmable DAA designs are only suitable for a single country a group of countries with similar requirements.
While the isolation transformer of a DAA protects the electronic components of a modem, it often introduces distortion and consumes a relatively large amount of space. In today""s world of ever-shrinking electronics, the bulk of the isolation transformer may govern the physical dimensions of the modem itself and impose other unwanted constraints on cost sensitive modem circuitry.
One method for reducing the size of the isolation transformer in a DAA involves coupling certain telephone line signals (e.g., incoming ringing signals) to modem circuitry while utilizing a separate signal path to couple data signals via a capacitively coupled isolation transformer. Although enabling the use of smaller and lighter isolation transformers, this configuration may result in excessive distortion.
Some modem configurations have eliminated the isolation transformer altogether via the use of analog electo-optical isolators. These devices employ an emitter, such as a light emitting diode, and a corresponding photo-detector circuit. This type of isolation, however, may suffer from distortion, cost and complexity issues.
Still other configurations have used an isolation transformer in the main signal path and optical isolators or relays in the ring detection and off-hook driving circuitry. Capacitors have also been utilized to differentially couple analog transmit and receive channels across an isolation barrier. Thermal and resistive isolation techniques have also been employed, but are typically complex and expensive to manufacture.
The requirement of passing analog audio signals across the high voltage isolation barrier for provision to a coder/decoder (CODEC) and other DAA circuitry hampers efforts to decrease the size and cost of the barrier due to the foregoing design constraints. Further, each signal path across the barrier adds to size and expense of the high voltage isolation barrier.
Briefly, a modem according to the present invention utilizes a DAA having line side circuitry including a telephone network interface and system side circuitry including a host system interface. The line side circuitry and the system side circuitry are separated by a high voltage isolation barrier. In accordance with the invention, the high voltage isolation barrier and other DAA circuitry are configured such that data and control information may be communicated between the system side circuitry and the line side circuitry using a serialized digital communication protocol.
In one embodiment of the invention, the line side circuitry of the modem includes detection and measurement circuitry that is programmable to measure or establish electrical characteristics (e.g., tip/ring voltage and loop current) of the telephone line interface connection. Command information for the programmable circuitry is multiplexed with data communicated across the high voltage isolation barrier.
The serialized digital information communicated across the high voltage isolation barrier in accordance with the invention may also include information for synchronizing communications between the system side circuitry and the line side circuitry, including interrupt and data direction signals. Error correction information may also comprise a portion of the serialized datastream.
A DAA utilizing a serialized digital communication protocol according to the invention permits information relating to many of the DAA functions to be multiplexed into a single path across the high voltage isolation barrier. The DAA may thereby be constructed with a relatively inexpensive and physically compact high voltage isolation barrier.